Talking Point: Do Sony's Family Franchises Have a Future on PS4?

Nintendo fans may try to convince you otherwise, but Sony was the first to unlock the casual game market. Its competitor may have found global success with the motion controlled Wii, but the Japanese giant had already spent several years marketing brands such as Buzz and EyeToy to a more mainstream audience by that point. However, with the PlayStation 3’s overengineered hardware losing the platform holder’s place in the space, what does the future hold for the firm’s more casual endeavours?

Those outside of Europe may not be fully aware of the SingStar franchise’s success, but within its first five years available the karaoke alternative shifted a whopping 16 million units in PAL regions across multiple releases. For a time, it was a phenomenon on the PlayStation 2, with virtually every house party sporting coloured microphones and a copy of the game running in the background. Such was its success in SCEE controlled territories that it spawned dozens of different spin-offs, with even Australian kids’ band The Wiggles putting in an appearance in 2010.

But while the organisation’s efforts in the space continued long into the PS3 era, the popularity of its casual properties really started to plummet. Brighton-based developer Relentless Software’s quiz franchise Buzz was a brand that benefitted from the low-entry point of the manufacturer’s most popular platform, only to find its market snatched away when it made the ill-advised jump onto new hardware. An exclusivity contract between the studio and SCE meant that it went on to make four additional Jason Donovan starring trivia titles – despite the sales falling off a cliff face.

An even worse fate has befallen the likes of Buzz, with the quiz’s lasting legacy comprising a space in PlayStation Home, where avatars must dash between coloured panels in order to respond to user generated conundrums. Meanwhile, the manufacturer’s last ditch attempt to build upon the augmented reality technology of its older games with Wonderbook fell flat on its spine, with Harry Potter spin-off Book of Spells selling poorly around the globe, consigning sequels Diggs Nightcrawler and Walking with Dinosaurs to an almost silent launch.

However, while its philosophy has paved the way for unprecedented PS4 sales, it’s a tactic that will need to evolve over time. The hardcore audience will drive the console’s install base over the next couple of years, but there will come a point where it will need to look beyond that in order for the system to grow. The more affordable manufacturing process of the next-gen machine means that it may eventually find itself in a position where the likes of SingStar and Buzz are viable options again, but even with a much more affordable piece of hardware, it’s going to be interesting to see whether those brands still make sense.

As its competitor Nintendo’s learning with the Wii U, it’s difficult to replicate past successes on new hardware. Despite adopting slightly different models, the interest in Wii Sports Club and Wii Fit U is almost non-existent compared to the fervour surrounding their predecessors. But even if the mainstream market that once represented a bulk of console sales has moved on to play tablets and smartphones, Sony (and its peers) need to be thinking of ways to entice them back. It’s undoubtedly made all of the right noises with its next generation system thus far, but if the PS4 is to continue its sales ascension then the company will need to have new strategies in the pipeline behind closed doors.

Perhaps it’s banking on its rumoured virtual reality sensor to reignite the mainstream market in time, or maybe it intends to eventually bundle the system’s updated PlayStation Camera with the console and go head-to-head with Microsoft over the lens loving audience that its short-sightedness lost. Whatever its plans, with the likes of SingStar and Buzz lying dormant for such a long time, we suspect that the door may have closed on the former family favourites. However, there's no doubt that the platform holder still needs the mainstream market to succeed, so it’s going to be interesting to see what it creates to take their place.

Would you like to see a new SingStar or Buzz on the PS4, or do you think the ship has now sailed on the once gigantic brands? How do you think that Sony will appeal to more mainstream consumers in the future, or don’t you think that it even needs to? Hit the high notes in the comments section below.

Do you think that the family market will prove important to the PS4? (31 votes)

Yes, for the system’s success Sony will need to attract more than hardcore gamers

61%

To be honest, I don’t really know

29%

No, the manufacturer should continue its course and focus on hardcore gamers

User Comments (12)

@MrSRArter Yeah, it's a really good point. We've heard so many rumours about LittleBigPlanet 3, I wonder what's going on with that. To me, while I agree that Sackboy and crew are very accessible, I don't think they quite fit into the bracket of what I had in mind here — the type of games that even Grandma can play — but you're right, I'm sure that series has a future on PS4. I personally don't think we're going to see Media Molecule make it, though.

I think it's important to have these casual/family brands on PS4. SingStar and the like have their big followings, though, are these franchises still as relevant as they were before?

Regardless, I'd love to see more of them on PS4.

SingStar on the PS3 had great sharing features, and it would be cool to live-stream all that singing directly to Twitch/Ustream (granted, there may be issues with that legally, depending on how the licenses are)

Buzz can be great fun on the PS4, but sans plastic peripherals. Imagine downloading an app onto your PSVita and/or other mobile devices to play Buzz instead of pricey buzzers. This could give even more gameplay opportunities given that each player has their own screen (and mics, cameras, motion sensors...)

Seeing how nicely The Playroom is going, I can easily see a new EyePet game using the new PS Camera, as well as other similar AR/motion games. It demos so well in front of others, especially on mainstream shows like Jimmy Fallon. It would be a crime not to push out more games like that, as newcomers might expect more like it.

Or, perhaps it's best to start off fresh this gen and make new casual/family-friendly franchises to work off of. Whatever Media Molecule, London Studio, & other devs (like Novarama) may be cooking up for the PS4 may very well be the next best thing since SingStar...

I actually just discovered buzz a couple of months ago and my family LOVED it. It stinks that just as I got it a lot of the features were discontinued. I'd love another version, and if it was cheap enough to do so, the app idea above is pretty smart, although I'd probably be willing to pay for new remotes if they made the jump to ps4 worth it (I picked up wired buzzers from my thrift store for $6)

I just think that if Sony is going to go after the casual market, they're going to have to put out games with the kinds of quality found in their big-budget games. If they really put in the time to perfect a formula (such as the karaoke genre) then they'd be fairly successful with it.

I bought ps3 just cause of buzz sports champions start the party and all the casual games for move. If it wasnt for move i wouldnt have bought ps3... I have my pc for hardcore games so i want casual games for my living room to play with friends.. No good casual games like sports champions on ps4 then i ll never buy ps4

Yeah, this is obviously a very important market and was a key to the the PS2's success.

They'll definitely need to cater to this audience too. I think their strategy is to first focus on a strong fanbase of core gamers and then later expand the 'hype' to the mainstream, but without sacrificing the focus on gamers, but merely expanding the audience. I think that's a pretty good strategy and something like the Playroom is a good start.

Nothing wrong with casual games as long as they're quality and fun titles that don't come at the expense of sacrificing development of core games.

But, obviously you can also have family-friendly games like Mario, LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway that appeal to both audiences. They'll definitely make some games like that too if they want to make the PS4 a widespread they need to have an large target audience.

I gave my older sister a Move starter pack & a copy of HOTD: Overkill for xmas seen as she had just recieved a Ps3 from her partner. As much as she enjoyed Overkill, all Ive heard her talk of lately is picking up some Singstar microphones & the Micheal Jackson dancing game. I think sony would be wise to at least keep these type of games around